Chin up, Sangari

PETALING JAYA: It may have been a disappointing end to the season for squash player S. Sivasangari (pic), but her overall campaign was far from a letdown.

Squash Racquets Association of Malaysia (SRAM) coaching director Andrew Cross believes there is no reason for Sivasangari to dwell on poor results at the PSA World Tour Finals in Toronto last week, as it do not reflect the strong season she has had.

The 26-year-old failed to register a win in the group stage of the prestigious event, losing all her matches to Olivia Weaver of United States, Fayrouz Aboelkheir of Egypt and Satomi Watanabe of Japan.

Still, Cross does not view the outcome as a major setback, especially given the effort Sivasangari has put in throughout the year to cement her position as the world No. 8.

Sivasangari also ended an eight-year wait for Malaysia when she reached the quarter-finals of the World Championships in Chicago in May, becoming the first national woman to do so since Datuk Nicol David in 2017.

Earlier in the season, she also clinched the Cincinnati Gaynor Cup title in February and finished runner-up at the Grasshopper Cup in Zurich two months later.

Therefore, Cross is confident that Sivasangari will bounce back from the disappointment in Toronto and make a strong start to the new season, which begins in August.

“If you look at the whole season, many of the players have hit their career-high rankings,” said Cross.

“In recent months, they’ve all done really well. Of course, there are still areas where we can improve.

“But Sangari has reached the top end of the game, and at that level, winning and losing comes down to very fine margins. She’ll be more disappointed than anyone else, but I’m confident she’ll bounce back,” said Cross.

Cross is also pleased with the performances of other national players, including Aifa and Aira Azman, Rachel Arnold, Joachim Chuah, Ng Eain Yow, C. Ameeshenraj and Sanjay Jeeva.

Earlier, Sivasangari said the season had been an emotional rollercoaster, offering valuable lessons for her career. She now plans to use the off-season to rest and recover before the new campaign begins.

“Full of ups, downs, growth, and change. Some big goals achieved, but even more lessons learned. Huge thanks to my team and sponsors for the constant support, belief, and drive to keep striving to be better.

“Time to rest, recharge, and go again,” said Sivasangari on her social media.